When you purchase a trademark, there is no requirement that you record the sale, but it sure is a good idea. Why? Take this example:

Owner A sells a trademark (and the underlying goodwill) to buyer B. Buyer B never records the sale. Owner A, feeling mischievous, then sells the mark again to buyer C. If buyer C truly didn’t know about the sale to B, then C gets the mark and B loses out. Had B recorded the sale, he wouldn’t be out of luck, and C wouldn’t have gotten the trademark.

As an aside, the sale of a trademark must be accompanied by the underlying goodwill – the bare sale of a trademark is ineffective.

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I'm Tom Galvani, a patent> and trademark lawyer in Phoenix, Arizona. I help inventors, entrepreneurs, and businesses develop and control their intellectual property. I host this site and the blog on it to give you an idea of the services I provide and to keep you updated on current developments and helpful information related to patents, trademarks, and copyright. Legal and Disclaimer